HISTORIANS are unearthing their town's little-known connection to Banjo Patterson's celebrated bush poem Waltzing Matilda.
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Their insights have picked up the trail in music composed a year before Waltzing Matilda was penned, at a time when musician Christina McPherson is thought to have heard a tune playing at the Warrnambool races.
The evidence suggests the tune was written by prolific composer Thomas Edward Bulch, who dedicated the original work to the Inglewood woman.
Many historians believe McPherson played Bulch's melody - which he had titled Thou Bonnie Wood of Craigielea - to Banjo Paterson as he worked on the words to Waltzing Matilda at an 1895 house party in Queensland.
Most Inglewood residents had no idea that one of their own had a link to what is arguably Australia's alternative national anthem, former Inglewood Historical Society president Howard Rochester said.
"Most people are excited when they hear it, or at least think it's interesting," he said.
Some have said it would be unfair to "pinch" the glory for the song from the region of Queensland that has long claimed credit for Waltzing Matilda, Howard said.
He saw things differently.
"It's not pinching anything off anyone. It's adding to the story," Howard said.
Inglewood resident Anne-Maree Fiscalini led the research into the town's link to Waltzing Matilda.
"We've painted a sad story, in many ways, about a woman called Elizabeth Paterson [not believed to be related to Banjo], who lived in Sullivan Street and died from colon cancer and perforation of the bowel in 1895 at 91-years-of-age," Anne-Maree said.
Some evidence suggests she died alone, "so it would be good to be able to celebrate this link to her", Anne-Maree said.
"Without her, we would not have had anyone dedicate a song to her, it would not have been played at the Warrnambool races and it would not then have been played in front of Banjo at that party," she said.
So, how did Elizabeth come by her unlikely place in Australian cultural history?
Thomas Bulch, who wrote the original score, was Elizabeth's grandson-in-law.
He called his band composition a "Craigielee Waltz", after the name of the house she lived in (which in turn was fashioned on Elizabeth's maiden name, Craigie).
It was likely dedicated to Elizabeth for her 90th birthday, Anne-Maree said.
Thomas was a prolific composer who wrote under a number of pseudonyms. He dedicated many of those songs to family and friends.
The original song was written as a Scottish jig.
Elizabeth died before Waltzing Matilda's creation and would never know the part she and her grandson-in-law would play in the birth of the iconic poem.
It is entirely possible that some of Elizabeth's descendants do not know her link to the piece.
"It's just been forgotten," Howard said.
Inglewood residents themselves might have never thought to delve into their link to the poem had it not been for the 2020 pandemic lockdowns that left local historians idle and looking for projects, he said.
Howard hoped that the discoveries would at the very least open the door for funding to maintain Elizabeth Paterson's grave.
Anne-Maree and Howard spent last Christmas eve tidying up the modest grave in the Inglewood cemetery last Christmas Eve.
Anne-Maree held up an umbrella so that Howard could work in the heat.
Like this story? Here's some more in our history series WHAT HAPPENED?
It was largely covered in dirt and the pair had to carefully uncover the crystal quartz that loved ones had used so long ago to mark the site.
"It doesn't even have a headstone," Anne-Maree said.
"We at least need a plaque. Elizabeth was a beautiful lady and no-one knows she is here."
Howard has plenty of ideas of how Inglewood could better remember Elizabeth.
"Because she is linked to a national icon, we could have that written around town, and linked to other famous people to the area's stories," he said.
"It's not much of a connection, sure. It's a little one. But it's still important."
This story is the latest in the Bendigo Weekly's regular history series WHAT HAPPENED?
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